| BASIC KOI TERMINOLOGY | |||
| AI = Blue | BENI = Deep Red | HI = Red | AKA = Red Orange |
| KI = Yellow | ORENGI = Orange | SHIRO = White | SUMI = Black |
| GIN = Silver | KIN = Gold | ||
| KIWA = Rear edge of (moyo) pattern or where colors change. | |||
| SASHI = Front edge of (moyo) pattern or where colors change. | |||
White with red (beni or hi) markings. Ideally, the hi should be a uniform shade with well-defined edges. The white should be a pure snowy white. The hi should cover between 50 to 70 percent of the koi, and be visually balanced.
White fish with red (hi) and black (sumi) markings. All markings should be deep in hue with distinct edges. The white should be a snowy white. The pattern that hi and sumi markings create should be balanced when viewed individually and together.
Three-colored, predominantly black (sumi) with red (hi) and white (shiro) markings. The large sumi marking should be dark black and the hi a deep red.
Predominantly blue or gray on their back and red or orange on their underside. The scale definition is important; each scale should be darker blue in the center and lighter blue or white around the edges. The red (hi) should extend onto the base of the pectoral fins.
A one color koi with a metallic sheen. The color should be an even hue all over the body with no patterns or markings.
Their color varies from a light tan, brown, tea, up to a dark green, The have a very distinct "net" pattern, in other words the edge of their scales are black and makes the fish look like it has a net wrapped around it. They are known to be very tame.
This group is distinguished by the red mark, tancho, on the head. This category includes koi from the Kohaku, Sanke, Showa and any other varieties that have the round red mark on the head, and no hi (red) markings anywhere else.
These are black koi with white, red or yellow markings. The sumi (black) markings on the head should reach down to the nose. Utsuri should have a striking, large sumi that is emphasized by the contrasting color. .
This variety is defined as a red, white, or yellow koi that have distinct black (sumi) markings over its body. The sumi markings of Bekko should be ebony black and small, placed evenly over the koi.
Similar to the Asagi, they are blue or gray along the dorsal line with hi (red) extending from the belly to the lateral line. They are a partially scaled variety (doitsu), and the blue scales along the dorsal line should ideally be neatly aligned.
Doitsu have either no scales at all (referred to as “leather carp”), or they have a line of large scales along their lateral and dorsal lines (referred to a “mirror carp”).
Koromo have an indigo netting pattern on Hi (red) plate of Kohaku.
Goshiki means five colors. These colors are white, red, black, blue, and dark blue. Mixed over the body these colors often give a purplish appearance.
Means dead leaves floating in water. Koi has green, gray basic colors with filigree reticulation of brown (illusion of dead leaves).
A greenish-yellow koi with doitsu skin.